Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

विदीर्णदाडिमैः स्वांतं दर्शयंतं तु रागवत् । माधवीं धवरूपेण श्लिष्यंतमिव कानने

Transliteration

vidīrṇadāḍimaiḥ svāṃtaṃ darśayaṃtaṃ tu rāgavat | mādhavīṃ dhavarūpeṇa śliṣyaṃtamiva kānane

Translation

വിദീർണ്ണ ദാടിമഫലങ്ങളാൽ അത് തന്റെ അന്തർഹൃദയം രാഗാരുണ ലാലിമയോടെ വെളിപ്പെടുത്തുന്നതുപോലെയും; കാനനത്തിൽ ധവവൃക്ഷരൂപത്തിൽ മാധവീവള്ളിയെ ആലിംഗനം ചെയ്യുന്നതുപോലെയും തോന്നി।

Word by Word

• विदीर्ण-दाडिमैः: with split pomegranates
• विदीर्ण-दाडिमैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विदीर्ण (√दॄ/दॄण् धातु, क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त) + दाडिम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (विदीर्णानि दाडिमानि)

• स्वान्तम्: (its) inner heart/interior
• स्वान्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• दर्शयन्तम्: showing
• दर्शयन्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (√दृश् धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (Present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थक

• रागवत्: as if with passion/redness
• रागवत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रागवत् (प्रातिपदिक; -वत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्ययवत्-प्रयोगः (indeclinable-like in -वत्), उपमानार्थे

• माधवीम्: the Mādhavī creeper
• माधवीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माधवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• धव-रूपेण: in the form of a dhava-tree
• धव-रूपेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धव (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (धवस्य रूपम्)

• श्लिष्यन्तम्: embracing/clasping
• श्लिष्यन्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्लिष् (√श्लिष् धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• इव: as if
• इव: Sambandha (Simile marker/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक अव्यय (comparative particle)

• कानने: in the forest/grove
• कानने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कानन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (general kṣetra-stuti context)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A verdant Kāśī grove: split pomegranates glow crimson like a revealed heart; a mādhavī creeper appears to cling lovingly around a pale dhava tree, suggesting an embrace in the forest shade.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• dāḍima (pomegranate)
• mādhavī (creeper)
• dhava (tree)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The kṣetra’s outer beauty is matched by inner auspiciousness—nature ‘reveals its heart’ in a holy land.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī-kṣetra’s groves as part of the broader Kāśī māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is descriptive.